One Person Dead after Shots Exchanged on Elm St in Greensboro's downtown

"An exchange of gunfire between individuals leaving downtown Greensboro clubs after closing left one man dead and three wounded.

A fifth man was shot by a Greensboro police officer who responded to the disturbance while it was in progress and saw several armed people shooting at each other.

The incident began at approximately 2:35 this morning as patrons were leaving several clubs in the S. Elm St. and Lewis St. area. Several individuals began verbally arguing with each other. The disagreement escalated into a physical altercation at Lewis Street and Elm Street. At least two individuals then began to exchange gunfire.

Several officers in the area heard the gunshots and responded to the location on foot. One officer fired his weapon and struck one of the subjects that was actively shooting in an effort to stop the on-going assault. The armed man was transported to a local hospital and is still receiving treatment and is listed in critical condition.

The other wounded persons were also transported to local hospitals for non-life threatening wounds.

The names of the victims are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The use of force is being investigated by the Greensboro Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division to determine whether or not the shooting was lawful, and the Professional Standards Division to determine if departmental policies were followed.

The officer will be placed on administrative duties while the internal investigations are ongoing.

No officers were injured during the incident.

Detectives are in the preliminary stages of investigating the homicide. Interviews with witnesses present conflicting and unclear information about the cause of the altercation and those involved.

Additional information, including the names of all persons involved, will be released later in the day.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000, or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) with the keyword badboyz. Calls and texts are anonymous and confidential."